Category : Stories

Sub Category : Fantasy

Jake slowly turned to face Henry who was red and sweaty. Henry shook his head and tried to act like Jake wasn’t looking at him, he could feel him though and not on the outside. 

Henry had never felt a pull like it before. He didn’t want to believe Jake’s story, that he could make a difference. That he could be someone else, less of a criminal and more of a hero but inside he knew Jake was telling the truth. 

Jake had an expression that echoed recent pain, an inner pain that made everything he said genuine and Henry liked that level of honesty. Jake wasn’t about to give into Henry though, he wanted Henry to come with him but wasn’t going to beg. Henry also liked that, it showed that he was still a free man. 

The fact was however Henry wasn’t a free man, he was wanted by the police and in serious trouble. He needed Jake to be free and Jake knew that, he didn’t use it against Henry, he wanted Henry to come because he wanted too. 

“Why should I come?” Henry said which made Jake laugh. 

“If I’m being honest, I didn’t want to go either, why should you leave your own little bubble right? Because Henry, you can be more than this,” Jake told Henry with another genuine glance that confused him. 

“I can’t,” Henry replied putting his head down and beginning to walk away. Jake became frustrated but swallowed it down so he could do the right thing. Jake took a breath. He walked over slamming the door, Henry couldn’t leave and Jake was standing toe to toe with him.

“I know you can feel it. You need to come with me because life will never feel whole again without my animal around yours but you wouldn’t want to admit that weakness would you? You’ve been fighting with people so long that you are even fighting with yourself. This isn’t you Henry. I can feel that. You’re a good man, don’t let the bad things you have done overshadow that,” Jake explained without begging, without shouting, he held it together. 

“Wow, that was a good speech, were did you learn to motivate people like that?” Henry smiled telling Jake but Jake didn’t smile back, he walked away saying “I had an amazing big brother once.” 

In that moment Henry began to understand why Jake was trying to be his friend over his recruiter. Jake was missing something that only Henry could provide. Brotherhood.